The desert. It's hot. It's sandy. It's filled with creepy monsters and things. But mostly it's hot and sandy and there's a whole lot of nothing. You appear and wonder "why am I here? What is there to do here? Is that a cow skull? Do cows live out here in this desert? How can cows live in the desert? Maybe it's a horse?" These are all very complicated questions with equally complicated answers but there's no one to provide them no matter where you look. Instead, you're given the option of walking. Forwards, backwards, to your right, to your left, any direction is yours to take. Try not to die from dehydration or something, that would be a sad ViViD death and the cow-horse skull might start laughing at you. I mean, you'll just start over from the beginning anyway but still.
Welcome to ViViD's new line of Vacation Spotlights: Desert Edition.
Moo-Neigh.
 One wish, that's all you get.
Make it snappy, I don't have all day.
Actually, I have eternity but I just don't want to spend it with you.
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PHASE I [ 6 00 ] So.
There's sand.
In fact, there's so much sand that there's probably already sand in your shoes and your shorts and all sorts of other places that aren't fun to have sand in. It stretches for miles and miles, in large dunes and deep dips, and above it all there are three suns that beat down upon everyone's backs. Why three? Because why not, that's why. Enjoy the sunshine and try not to get sunburnt.
You've got a long ways to travel before you find anything but sand, but thankfully you're not alone -- there are a bunch of unfortunate stragglers who are out with you, so it's time to make some friends as you travel. You've got pleeeeenty of time. No water though. Or food. Or... anything but human interaction.
Thankfully, it's only a matter of time before you stumble across your hot new ride. Thankfully, it seats two, so you and your new friend can enjoy a cramped road trip. You, this relative stranger, and the great... sandy... unknown! Good luck!
PHASE II [ 645 ] If you prefer to not take your ride, you're going to wish that you did soon enough. Every desert level has to have desert monsters, after all. You're walking through the sand, trying to make it to somewhere that isn't sand, and then suddenly, the sand worms appear.
Or.
Well.
They try.
Unfortunately, they're little more than 5 or 6 inches tall apiece, and they'll mostly try to eat your shoes and socks. How scary.
Alternatively, if you have actually taken that sweet ride of yours on an adventure through the desert, you're going to hit something at one point. It makes a rather pitiful scream and there's a small bump underneath your tire before your car comes to a stop. You just ran over a sand worm.
Anyone who is intrepid enough to kill a sand worm though will find one interesting thing about them. They're filled with water, and you are very, very thirsty. Ew.
PHASE III [ 1000 ] It sure is hot.
And unless you've devoured one of those poor, sad, screaming sand worms, there's no water to be found. It feels as though you've been wandering in circles for ages, so perhaps it's really no surprise that the heat starts to get to you. First come the headaches, and the thirst. Then the dizziness and vertigo.
And finally, the mirages.
What you see is a waterfall cascading into a crystal pool, beautiful and pristine and painfully cool. It's just begging for you to come enjoy it, and -- wait, there's one more thing. Standing in front of that pool is either someone you care about immensely or someone you hate immensely.
And either way, the things they say or do will be the same. First they reach for you, beckoning, and they they start to detail all of the things they'd like to do to you. NSFW, SFW, loving or cruel or so many things in between, all that's honestly consistent is that it's pretty shocking.
Oh, and awkwardly, it seems as though anyone with you can see and hear that hallucination too. That's embarrassing.
PHASE IV [ 1215 ] Eventually, though, you'll find your destination. Or... at least, it seems like it should be the destination. The tiny temple is at least a change from the endless sand, and in the middle of it, there's a lamp. That sure looks familiar.
If you rub the lamp, of course, you'll release the genie, and he'll glance at you, and inspect his fingernails as though you're hardly worth his time, and offer you one, single wish.
As soon as you make it, well... You'll get the opposite of what you wish for with a sudden apology note in your hand. The card will read "Sorry, this level isn't entirely finished yet - Mosley" before immediately disappearing. Your wish will only apply in ViViD, of course, but hopefully you didn't wish for anything too crazy, or you might have made the level Much Harder for everyone around you.
BONUS [ why o'clock ] One second you're walking along the desert sand, enjoying the eternally same view, and the next there's a sudden pinch on your ankle, and a scorpion monster scuttles away quickly. Whoops, looks like you've been stung.
But it's not poison, it would seem. Aside from feeling a little odd and having a mild fever, you're fine.
More importantly, you've now found yourself in possession of some... new powers (a la Spider-man), and they're...
Well, they're useless.
Maybe you can summon water now, but... only sulfur water. Perhaps you can now make pretty light shows and that's about all. You can see the future but only the next three seconds. The possibilities are endless, but what's for certain is that they're all completely and utterly useless to you.
What the fuck, ViViD.
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bonus obviously
Wha--wha?!
[ How nice of CERES to give him Zono after two months of Kuramochi.
As with all things CERES, there definitely had to be a downside. That being the glitter, which Kazuya is sure he's going to be leaving this round of ViViD wearing, because the irritation powers of glitter cannot be underestimated.
(Though to be fair, the glitter might be less annoying than the asshole in glasses and a baseball cap grinning at Zono.) ]
Why are you running around throwing glitter?
[ Yeah, sure, he could be nice, but where's the fun in that? ]
obviously -_-
He almost wants to go back to not knowing who it is he's running toward but it can't go worse than it did with Jun so he just slows to a jog. He's in his full uniform, the armpits of which are now thoroughly covered in glitter, and it's just too hot to run in that, especially for Miyuki.]
I don't know! It started after the bug stung me but bugs don't do this!
[Kenta's a pretty expressive guy so yeah, there's hand-talking happening and the glitter just keeps coming. When he stops, he at least puts his hands on his hips. The uniform is going to be a total loss.]
How did you get here?
;*
...your blood pressure, probably not. ]
Haha, sounds like this stupid game! Guess it's better than dying from poison or something, though.
[ He shrugs. ]
I walked into ViViD and sat in a chair on the wrong day, it looks like. Or maybe the right day, since you're here...
[ Is he doing this on purpose? He's definitely doing this on purpose. ]
no subject
The mention of a game gets real attention paid, though.]
Wait, a game? That was serious? What kind of game is this that's got you here, and Jun, and bugs that actually sting you?
[That's an irritatingly casual shrug considering Kenta is now completely losing his mind. Of course it figures Miyuki would considering being lost in the desert a game, but Kenta's ready to pause or save or log off or whatever it is the game wants.]
Well, how do we get back to the chair? I don't want to play this anymore.
[The comment that it might've been the right day just gets a side eye. Really?]
What, like you've been here longer?
no subject
[ After all, Kuramochi stuck around when they met up, and Jun and Zono actually like each other. He readjusts his hat, considering. ]
I mean, I can usually log off whenever, but we might need to, uh, beat the level, to get you outta here. At least there's no monsters...
[ Yet. He meets Zono's eye through his sunglasses, and for just a moment his flippant attitude shuts off. ]
Kuramochi and me have been here two months. Nobody's sure how true the rest of the stuff in their spiel is, but it might as well all be true for all the difference it makes to us.
no subject
[Then it's just more listening and trying to process. He can just log off. This is really supposed to be a game. Miyuki's sense of humor is twisted but this isn't quite right to be a joke from him. That's even more obvious when he drops the air altogether, though that's also when he's at his most chilling sometimes, too.
The news definitely falls on the chilling side.]
Two months? But you've been at practice... neither of you have been missing. [He pauses, frowning and looking away.]
That makes it sound true, though. If they were lying about it then when something like me coming here happens it'd blow it all up.